Re: The wise men and their star

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Ruest" <pruest@dplanet.ch>
To: "George Murphy" <gmurphy@raex.com>
Cc: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 11:02 AM
Subject: Re: The wise men and their star

> George Murphy wrote:
..........................................
> >Some modern English versions translate /magoi/ with "astrologers,"
> which to
> modern people connotes (or should connote - see below) something
> disreputable. Early Christians felt the same way but didn't have to be
> embarassed by this because they could see the coming of the magi not as a
> triumph of "magic" but as its submission to Christ. In his letter to the
> Ephesians early in the 2d century Ignatius of Antioch wrote:
>
> "How, then, was he manifested to the world? A star shone forth in
> heaven above all the other stars, the light of which was inexpressible,
> while its novelty struck men with astonishment. And all the rest of the
> stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to this star, and its light
> was exceedingly great above them all.
> And there was great agitation felt as to whence this new spectacle
> came,
> so unlike everything else [in the heavens]. Hence every kind of magic was
> destoyed, and every bond of wickedness disappeared; ignorance was
> removed, and the old kingdom abolished, God himself being manifested in
> human form for the renewal of eternal life."
> (_The Ante-Nicene Fathers_, Vol.I, p.57.)<
>
> Apart from the Greek term /magoi/ (and derivatives), there is a term
> /pharmakoi/ (and derivatives) with similar meanings. The designation
> /magos/ is usually translated as Weise, wise men, or magi in Mat 2:1,7,16,
> but by Zauberer, Magier, sorcerer, magician in Acts 8:9,11 and 13:6,8;
> /pharmakos/ is translated as Zauberer, sorcerer and witchcraft, magic
> arts, etc. in every occurrence (Gal 5:20; Rev 9:21; 18:23; 21:8; 22:15).
> Mat 2 is the only context in which /magoi/ has a (possibly?) reputable
> connotation - at least one that is very clearly better than in the other
> contexts (Acts, Gal and Rev), as most translaters apparently wanted to
> make clear by using a different, positive term.
>
> Ignatius, however, doesn't seem to have been of the opinion that a
> distinction should be made between the /magoi/ of Mat 2 and the others.
> From the quotation above, he doesn't seem to have objected to any
> astrology the Mat 2 /magoi/ may perhaps have practiced, but rather to
> supposed magic. But Matthew's text doesn't give us the slightest
> indication at all for either astrology or magic - in striking contrast to
> all other NT occurrences of /magoi/ (and /pharmakoi/).

    The Greek word that Ignatius uses in the passage translated above is
/mageia/ (/hothen elueto pasa mageis ... /).
I don't know that there's any reason to think that he would have made a
distinction between astronology & other forms of "magic" that magi
practised.

    Whether or not one should translate /magoi/ with "astrologers" can be
debated. (NRSV, e.g., gives that as a secondary reading in a footnote.)
But the magoi were noted for what we call today astrology & it's clear that
that's what they were practising in the Mt.2 text. E.g., /en te anatole/,
"at its rising" (rather than "in the east") is a term astrologers would use.

    I see no need to be embarassed about this. God's willingness to use bad
science - which was the best science of the day! - to further his revelation
would be part of the divine condescension & accomodation that we see
throughout scripture & that is clearest in the kenosis of the Incarnation &
cross.

> What do we really know about such "wise men" in Babylon (or Persia) of
> that time? Is there, in addition to Mat 2, any extrabiblical evidence?
>
> >Astrology is not the central theme of the Epiphany story but it
> provides an
> opportunity to counsel people against this particular fake science which
> has
> had a resurgence in recent decades.<
>
> Agreed.
>
> And in a different post, George wrote:
>
> >Justin Martyr, writing around 150, said that Jesus was born in a cave.
> (Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 78) Since Justin was born in Samaria he
> might have had access to some information about this. Orthodox
> iconography
> often conforms to this. OTOH the similarity with the legends of Mithra
> might arouse some suspicions.<
>
> Apparently, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was build over a rock
> shelter. But we don't know whether this choice was any more reliable than
> the doubtful placement of the Church of the Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

I wouldn't place much confidence in the Church os the Nativity but there's
considerable support historical & archaeological support for the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre as the site of Golgotha & the tomb of Christ. (BTW, the
correct name is "the Church of the Resurrection.") It is certain, OTOH,
that the so-called "Gordon's Calvary" & "Garden Tomb" that a lot of
protestants get shown are completely spurious.

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
Received on Sat Jan 8 09:49:42 2005